The Mountain and the Wall by Alisa Ganieva imperial-legacy Robert Chandler and Olga Meerson

Robert Chandler and Olga Meerson

in reality they were destined for those favoured by the State

Alexievich gives voice to those whose stories are lost in the official narratives

loyal Stalinists and critics of his regime - to reveal how the Soviet Union and leadership of a ruthless dictator propelled Allied victory over Germany and Japan

But Russians themselves appear to be watching an entirely different war – one in which they are the courageous underdogs and kind-hearted heroes successfully battling a malign Ukrainian foe

The Mountain and the Wall by Alisa Ganieva imperial-legacy Robert Chandler and Olga Meerson"Never before has Russian literature produced such an honest and complete picture of today's Caucasus" Kommersant Weekend A rumour spreads through Dagestans capital city, Makhachkala: the Russian government is building a wall to close off its Caucasus republics from the rest of the country. Ethnic and religious tensions mount no one is spared from the consequences. But like a vision in the midst of this nightmare, the image of a Mountain of